Illawarra Mercury 16 February 2007

Uni Honours Gramsci

By Veronica Apap

The working-class political activist who founded the Italian Communist Party now has a "home" at the University of Wollongong. The Gramsci Society (Asia Pacific) was launched at the university yesterday to exchange information and ideas on the life and work of Antonio Gramsci, whose notebooks have been considered some of the most important political works of the past century.

The society's patron, Marco Fedi, attended the launch, taking time out from his work as an overseas candidate in the Italian Parliament. Mr Fedi, who lives in Melbourne but was born in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, was elected to the Chamber of Deputies of Italy by Italian Australians. He believes it is important to maintain open debate about Gramsci throughout the world. "He was the founder of a strong political movement in Italy that became the Italian Communist Party," Mr Fedi said.

Gramsci was leader of the Italian Communist Party in 1924. When Benito Mussolini banned the party, Gramsci was arrested and spent the rest of his life in prison.

There he completed about 30 notebooks of reflections. In Wollongong, the society will host meetings and conferences, which will include related topics such as the Italian diaspora.  It will also issue scholarships and grants.